Something Cho
by ThatOCLady
Summary: When Special Agent Cho of the CBI is assigned to protect Berenice Washington of the Sacramento Public Library, sparks fly, as well as bullets. Kimball Cho/OC
1. Chapter 1

A/N:I know. I know it has been way too long. I had quit writing fanfiction, but I could not get this story out of my head. I wrote this chapter today and if it is well-received, maybe I'll finish this one. Not making any promises though. Also, I see Annie Ilonzeh portraying our OC.  
Thank you for reading my stories and expressing your appreciation for them. Your reviews on my other stories were a large factor of bringing me back to writing fanfiction. I hope you enjoy this one. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own _The Mentalist_ or any of its characters. Neither do I own Lisa Kleypas's _Wallflowers_ series, or any of its characters.

* * *

 **SOMETHING CHO**

 **Chapter 1**

It had been a slow week for the Serious Crimes Unit. Wayne's paper ball missed the wastebasket, bouncing off Cho's head. He ignored it in the spirit of friendship. But the second shot Wayne threw was caught in his left fist. Cho threw it back at Wayne without looking.  
"I am bored enough to kill you"  
"You're not the only one", Rigsby sighed.  
Like the overgrown man-child he was, Wayne bothered everyone around when in one of his moods. If he wasn't in a mood himself, Cho would have found it endearing. He looked over at Van Pelt and found her referring some files on her desk and then typing on the computer. That girl was never to be found idle.  
"Hey"  
The solitaire game on Cho's desktop was closed in a flash-second. Rigsby's feet came off the table with him almost toppling out of the chair. Van Pelt stopped working. Their boss signaled to Cho.  
"Can I see you for a minute?"  
Lisbon walked back into her office. He began to follow.  
"Are you in trouble?", Wayne sang the last word.  
Cho moved on.

Lisbon began the moment he was seated across from her,  
"Do you remember the election case from last year? You saved the new mayor from being shot?"  
"I made him duck"  
She smiled,  
"Yeah, that. Mayor O'Hara called a minute ago. He has asked for you on a case"  
The slightest frown was visible between Cho's brows. If it was a murder investigation, the Mayor would have wanted the whole unit working on it.  
"It's about his daughter's friend. She is being threatened, and the Mayor and Princess Mayor want the best round-the-clock protection for her"  
 _Shit._  
"He was hoping Agent Cho would personally make sure she was safe"  
"What's she being threatened with?"  
"Murder", Lisbon leaned back in her chair, "She testified against a guy at a rape trial. He got convicted, broke out of custody at the courthouse, and is now out for her blood"  
He hoped to God the vic was not a teenager.  
"Who is she?"  
"I don't know. The Mayor said he had already sent someone over with the case file"  
Just in time, Wayne knocked on the door. He poked his head in,  
"Detective Waheed from SacPD is here to see you"  
"Send him in, Rigs. Thanks"  
Cho steeled himself for what promised to be the start of a tedious assignment.

Detective Waheed, after giving him the address, had said a uniform would relieve him at the place. It was a pretty neighborhood. Looked safe and warm, picket fences and the works. Cho parked his SUV near the sidewalk. The moment he got out, the said uniform waved at him from the porch. Guy looked like the balloon man at a car dealership. Cho got closer.  
 _Ugh, that smile. Newbie._  
"Officer Wayne Nicholson, SacPD"  
Of course he was a Wayne.  
"Special Agent Kimball Cho, CBI", Cho showed him his badge before shaking hands.  
"Detective Waheed put me in charge until you came. Now that you're here, let's meet the lady of the house. You're so lucky, man"  
Cho turned to him, his annoyance increasing by the second. The door opened and he saw.  
"Miss Washington, this is Special Agent Kimball Cho from the CBI"  
"Oh, hello. Detective Waheed told me you would be here today. I didn't know it would be so soon", she gave him half a smile, "Where are my manners? I'm Berenice Washington"  
Man, was she beautiful. It took Cho a second to stop staring and take the hand she had offered. Embarrassed with himself, he shook it with more vigor than was necessary.  
"Come on in"  
Miss Washington led the way. Officer Nicholson did not follow.  
"I best be leaving, Miss Washington"  
"Of course", she shook hands with him, "Thank you, Officer"  
"My pleasure", he smiled before taking off, "Thank you for the breakfast"  
Miss Washington waved him away before closing the door. Meanwhile, Cho took in the neatly decorated living room. Too many windows for the killer to enter through or shoot. The stairs led upstairs – three rooms at most since the kitchen was downstairs.  
"Make yourself at home, Agent Cho", she said, walking about the room and picking up a book and a magazine here and there, "I apologize for the mess. I haven't had a chance to clean this week"  
"Miss Washington, I…"  
"Please. Call me Berenice"  
That smile seemed to still time for him. He nodded.  
"I will need to check all entrance and exit points of the house. Upstairs too"  
"Sure. I…", she looked about herself as if she had misplaced something, "It's just that I have to clean up. My book club is meeting up in less than an hour"  
"You're not supposed to leave the house"  
"I know. That's why I invited them here", she walked towards the steps, "Detective Waheed said it was all right if I did. Tara?"  
 _Tara?_  
"Tara is my housemate. And best friend", she turned to him, "She will show you upstairs"  
Before he could speak, a woman came bouncing down the steps and leaned against the railing, eyeing Cho.  
"Tara, this is Agent Kimball Cho from CBI. Laurie told us he'd be coming over today?"  
"Yeah. Agent Cho", Tara extended her hand to him, "Tara Jenkins. Pleased to meet you"  
He shook her hand,  
"Ma'm, I don't think you're supposed to be staying here with Miss Washington"  
"It's Berenice"  
"Don't call me ma'm", Tara grinned, "And Khaled… Detective Waheed said it was better that I stayed here. Teddy could try to put me in danger to get to Berry"  
"Why don't you show him all the rooms upstairs? I'll fix you two some lemonade"  
Cho tried,  
"I'm…"  
"Come on, Kimball. We'll go up"  
Two middle-aged women, a house not made for witness protection, and a wannabe murderer named Teddy – Cho regretted ever having saved the Mayor's life.

The lemonade was fresh. The ladies of the book club complimented Miss Washington on it. Cho sat in a corner of the living room, trying to read a Bronte novel and keeping an eye about. He stole derelict glances at the hostess while she read the last chapter of the Smut Club's Book of the Week. Most librarians that Cho had known did not have a voice that melodious, nor eyes that sparkled so with every word. She sighed happily on reading "The end", and similar sighs followed. One of the ladies said,  
"I can't wait to read the next part. Daisy is my favorite Wallflower"  
Tara said, before putting her glass to her mouth,  
"I bet Matthew Swift is not going to be as hot as Sebastian. I mean, ooh"  
The women giggled while Miss Washington tried to sound discreet.  
"Tara, is that vodka?"  
Laughter followed and one of them remarked,  
"Tara! It's only 1 in the afternoon"  
She shrugged and hushed the chatter with a raised hand.  
"All right now. Time for ratings"  
Cho watched them all type into their phones. Being an avid reader himself, he supposed they were on goodreads or riffle. Miss Washington finished first and asked everyone to share their ratings. "Five stars!" was the all-round answer before she revealed she had given it four stars.  
"Berry!", they admonished her.  
"I loved it, but it's still not my favorite from the series"  
"Ugh. You're so picky"  
Miss Washington defended herself with grace.  
"Sebastian is hot. But that's obvious. He's a rake. Evie is lovable and pitiable. And yet, their romance did not move me"  
Groans and disagreements rang through the living room.  
"Okay. Favorite sex scene?"  
"Billiards room!"  
"Their first time at the inn"  
"I actually preferred the ending scene where he does her from behind"  
"Tara!"  
Miss Washington availed of the moment to excuse herself, cut a slice of the big pink cake, and bring it to Cho. He hesitated.  
"No, thank you"  
"Come on", she said with a comic smile, "It's low-fat, gluten free and I did use my secret ingredient"  
He took the plate from her with the faintest smile. Miss Washington was staring at him.  
"You have dimples"  
"You do too"  
She gave a flustered little laugh before joining her friends again. Cho was glad to learn he wasn't the only one affected by a good smile. He took a spoonful of the cake.  
 _Delicious._

"Bye. Thank you for coming!"  
"You take care, okay?"  
Cho was standing on the porch, scanning the perimeter while Miss Washington saw her friends off. He could hear her shushing and hushing them.  
"He _is_ cute!", one of them said, "You should ask him out once that psycho is caught"  
"Stop it. He can hear you", she tried again.  
"If you ask me, this is just like _Bodyguard_ "  
Tara chimed in,  
"Only we got a Korean Kevin Cosner"  
They all agreed. Miss Washington did not.  
"Tara, shut up. Besides, I am not half as good looking as Whitney"  
Eyes rolled and Cho snorted too.  
"Yeah, right"  
"Okay, enough. Get going, all of you"  
The women had carpooled in a huge Subaru. Before they could all get in, an old lady appeared from the adjacent house. Her presence made the women retreat faster.  
"The Horny Housewives of Sacramento gather again"  
Cho's eyebrows rose on hearing such words from the feeble and sweet-looking old lady. Miss Washington ignored her and turned to go back in with Tara. The woman took a good look at Cho and called,  
"Finally got a gigolo, did you?"  
"YOUR MEATBALLS TASTE LIKE HORSE'S NUTS, VELMA!"  
Tara had to bring her friend in by the arms. Cho saw the old woman grinning to herself as she dumped a jug of water into her plants.  
"Calm down now", Tara was saying, "She just likes to get a rise outta you. You know that"  
Miss Washington took deep breaths.  
"I'm sorry you had to see that, Agent Cho", she shook her head, "That was Mrs. Cooper. She wasn't glad when my ex-husband moved out and I got the house in the divorce"  
Tara winked,  
"She had a crush on Nate"  
"I feel like cooking something", Miss Washington mumbled to herself, "Chicken, maybe"  
"Yeah, you go do that, Berry"  
When she had gone into the kitchen, Tara explained.  
"She cooks when she is pissed"  
Rigsby was going to love it there.

* * *

Rigsby was loving it at Berenice's. Not only was she easy on the eyes, she was one hell of a cook. And her housemate Tara was just plain good company.  
"This was…", he hummed, content and full.  
"I am glad you liked it", Berenice smiled.  
"Berry, you should make lasagna tomorrow. You are going to love it, Wayne"  
"I already do"  
He helped them clean up, despite of Berenice's protests. Tara seemed only too glad to excuse herself from the chore.  
"So Agent Rigsby", she handed him a dish to dry on the towel, "You will be leaving in the morning, right?"  
"Yeah. I'm only supposed to be here until Cho gets some essentials from his place. But our boss thought he needed a good night's rest if he was to be on guard duty 24x7"  
"I see"  
"I'll relieve him whenever he wants me to though"  
She nodded.  
"He is nice"  
Rigsby grinned,  
"Yeah?"  
"Mm-hm. Is he always so quiet though?"  
"Always, except when he's got some snarky comment up his sleeve"  
"Oh", she smiled, "Wonder how he communicates with his wife"  
"Cho's not married"  
She washed her hands in the sink, with her back to him.  
"His girlfriend then"  
"Nope. He doesn't have one. He got out of a pretty messed up relationship few months back"  
"Really?"  
Her large, innocent eyes made him want to divulge every secret he held. But it was Cho's secret; none of his business.  
"Yeah"  
"I know a thing or two about messy relationships"  
"Don't we all?"  
Wayne studied the soulful impression her face gave. When she wasn't smiling, Berenice looked like she was posing for a photograph.  
"I'm going to bed!", Tara announced from the living room.  
"Good night"  
"Good night, Berry! Night, Wayne!"  
They stepped out of the kitchen to see Tara climbing up the stairs. Wayne turned to Berenice,  
"It's late. You should be heading up too, don't you think?"  
She nodded. Wayne followed her upstairs. Her room was opposite to that of Tara. As per protocol, Wayne ensured the window was shuttered and locked.  
 _God, her room is just walls to walls of books._  
"All good", he turned to her.  
"Thank you", she smiled sleepily, "Help yourself to anything you need from the fridge or the kitchen. There are some potato chips in the hamper on the table"  
"Yeah, I saw. Thanks"  
"Good night, Agent Rigsby"  
He walked to Tara's door and knocked.  
"Who?"  
"It's me, Wayne"  
She opened the door, her sleep mask covering one eye.  
"Is your window closed and locked from inside?"  
"Yeah. Kimball did that when I tried sneaking out for my date"  
He grinned,  
"Night now, Tara. Lock your door"  
"Will do, handsome. Night"

The lights were out throughout the house. Agent Rigsby fought against sleep, watching midnight wrestling on the TV. He had to do a round of the house in about five minutes. Maybe he needed coffee. He jerked on feeling a hand on his shoulder.  
"Sorry, sorry!", it was Berenice, "I thought you were asleep. I was just making sure"  
"I wasn't. And it's fine", he got off the couch, "Why are you up?"  
She sighed and moved towards the kitchen. He followed.  
"I couldn't sleep. You want some water?"  
"Yeah", he caught the bottle, "Thanks"  
Berenice was clearly disturbed. She said,  
"It's not that I'm scared for myself alone. He's out there and he's a serial…"  
"GET DOWN!"  
It happened too fast. Rigsby lunged at Berenice and pulled her down with him. A gunshot had ringed right past his left ear. A double barrel shotgun, he could tell.  
"Stay down, okay? Don't move!"  
"I gotta warn Tara!"  
"No! You stay here. She is upstairs. She is fine. You stay here, okay? Don't move"  
She nodded and leaned her head against the kitchen compartments. Rigsby rose, gun drawn, and stalked to the door. He was standing between the back door and the wide windows above the kitchen top. Glass shattered and fell inches over and near Berenice as the second shot hit. She covered her ears and gave a little yelp, yelling,  
"Tara, stay in your room!"  
"Shh", Rigsby said to her, "Stay there. I will be right back"  
Berenice watched as he cautiously opened the back door and stepped out.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Many thanks to _FiascoWay_ , _Thorntons_ , and the wonderful _LouiseKurylo_ for their reviews. And as _FiascoWay_ pointed out, I edited the first chapter a bit to clear the ambiguity. If the readers have any pointers on how I can improve the story, do share them in your reviews. Thanks.

Disclaimer: I do not own _The Mentalist_ or any of its characters.

* * *

 **Something Cho**

 **Chapter 2**

Jane was certain he had the best spot in the bullpen. Not only was the couch comfortable, it provided an all-encompassing view of the Serious Crimes Unit. He could have watched Lisbon working in her office, if she wasn't running a bit late that morning. Van Pelt had just graced her desk after giving him a cheerful smile. He liked the girl's optimism. Much of it had been crushed due to the nightmare with O'Laughlin. She still retained enough of it for her presence to brighten the dull environment of CBI.  
"Is Cho here yet?"  
The brightest of all the rays in Patrick Jane's bleak existence had come in. She seemed tense. She always did, but she was not making any efforts to conceal it that morning.  
"No. You want me to call him?", Van Pelt asked.  
The cell phone was still in Lisbon's hand. She probably hadn't stopped trying to call Cho since she had gotten in.  
"I've been trying since last night. Can't reach him"  
"Everything okay?"  
Lisbon said,  
"His vic was shot at last night. Rigsby was with her"  
At the mention of her dearest 'colleague', Grace almost got off her seat. Her knuckles strained against the armrest as she tried to remain still. Lisbon eased the worry on her features.  
"He is fine. They both are"  
Once her boss had retreated into the office, Van Pelt's chest heaved with a muted sigh. She immediately started clicking away at her computer screen.  
 _She won't be at peace until she sees him with her own eyes_ , Jane surmised.  
"Morning", Cho came in and made for his desk.  
It wasn't like him to greet them first. And had his brow always looked so calm?  
 _Peculiar._  
Van Pelt wasted no time.  
"Boss wants to see you"  
The voices brought Lisbon out of her office. She came to them as Cho finished signing in.  
"Get to Berenice Washington's house ASAP. There was shooting at her place last night. Rigsby is waiting there for you"  
The startling speed with which Cho jumped into action took Jane by surprise. Perhaps because his best friend was involved.  
"Take him with you", Lisbon looked at Jane, "Try to see if you can find the perp"  
"Okay"  
The last few days had been so dull, they made him welcome the seemingly easy problem of finding Waldo. Cho was standing, impatiently glancing at his wristwatch, by the elevator before Jane could reach him.  
"Whoa. What's the rush?"  
The usually inscrutable face of his colleague was dense with worry… fright?  
 _Goodness, is Cho frightened?_  
He knew Rigsby could handle himself. Maybe…  
"What's this…", he enunciated her name, "Berenice Washington like?"  
At once, Cho assumed his guard.  
"She's 35, divorced, works at the Public Library. She's okay"  
 _"Okay" - what a lie._  
Jane smiled to himself. This promised to be fun.

Cho could not get out of the car fast enough. He was pissed at the shooter and at himself. It felt like a schoolyard crush. He had only known her for half a day and yet he was overcome with anxiety at the thought of her being hurt.  
"Hey, Kimball"  
Tara let them in. He did not have the time to introduce her to Jane. Rigsby was sitting on the couch, drinking what looked like a chocolate milkshake.  
 _No signs of injuries._  
"You okay?"  
"Yeah", Rigsby said, "Hey Jane"  
"Hey"  
From the living room, Cho could see the kitchen was extra bright that morning. He could also see that the window had been shot through and through.  
"Who is it, Tara?"  
Miss Washington came out of the kitchen, her hair falling half over her face. She tucked it behind her ear on seeing him.  
"Berenice"  
 _Great. That tremble at the end there was quite masculine._  
Cho came to the smiling woman in two strides. She seemed so happy to see him.  
"What happened?"  
Rigsby answered that from the couch,  
"Someone shot at the windows. Probably warning shots. But it was a heavy caliber shotgun. I stepped out but there was no one in sight"  
"Did you get ballistics on it?"  
"Not yet. CSU is on it right now"  
Jane and Cho peeked inside the kitchen. The tech-team was helping itself to breakfast at Berenice's table.  
"I made a spread", she explained.  
He saw her trying to cover the small gashes on her forearms.  
"It's just glass. It's nothing"  
Watching her facial expressions lift into a sad smile made his heart heavier. There was something there, between them. Something they wrote about in books. She did not shy away from showing it. What was stopping him?  
"Thank God, you're okay"  
With much strength, he had allowed himself that moment of weakness. He feigned nonchalance at the looks his colleagues gave him.  
"God?", Berenice snorted, "Yeah, right"  
 _Ouch._  
Jane whispered from behind in his ear,  
"I like her"  
"Thank Agent Rigsby if you have to"  
She walked to Wayne and laid her shapely hands on his shoulders.  
"You saved my life"  
Rigsby was stunned at the quick kiss she planted on his lips. Her face was upturned with a grateful grin. Rigsby smiled at her, embarrassed. Jane gave a low whistle. Cho wanted to murder someone.  
"You gonna make him faint", Tara cackled before saying, "And who might you be?"  
Jane shook her hand,  
"Patrick Jane, consultant"  
"Tara Jenkins. And that's Berenice"  
"Hello, Mr. Jane", Berenice shook his hand as well, "Wayne told me about you"  
Jane flashed her the smile he reserved for attractive women. _The bastard._  
"The bad stuff, I'm sure"  
"Not at all", she was the hostess again, "Why don't you guys have some breakfast?"  
Cho wanted to sound dismissive,  
"No, tha…"  
Jane intervened,  
"Oh, I'd love some. Texan women always make the heartiest breakfast, I have heard"  
Berenice exclaimed in delight,  
"How did you know I was from Texas?"  
 _So it begins._

It had been Cho's resolve to be grumpy for as long as was possible. Sure he was being petty but did she have to be so… who was he kidding? He had no claim on her attention. And yet Berenice glanced every now and then at him, perhaps hoping that he would speak to her again. That was sweet of her.  
"Tell me, Berenice", Jane opened his trap, "Teddy Melvyn never raped you, right?"  
"No"  
"But still it was your testimony that put him away"  
She shrugged,  
"Everybody thinks so. He thinks so"  
"Why is that?"  
"Because I saw him trying to rape that Doherty girl in my library. My library!"  
"And none of the victims testified because he is intimidating"  
"Two of them did, but the Doherty girl is just 17. She wouldn't. And many of the others wouldn't either. He", she used air quotes, " _represented_ himself at the trial, saying it was his constitutional right. How could a victim testify against him when he was going to be the one asking the questions?"  
Rigsby added,  
"It was a tough trial. Melvyn had a perfect record in the military before he got discharged for a combat injury in Pakistan. His MO included blackmail. He worked at the Income Tax office, so that info came in handy, I think. Victims reported he wouldn't use a condom, but he wouldn't leave any other signs"  
"No violence?", Jane frowned.  
"Nope"  
"So he is a fox, not a brute"  
Tara had been sitting by her friend's side, quiet for the last few minutes. She almost spat in contempt.  
"That asshole has just got it against Berry 'cause she's black. He called her a 'nigger bitch' when she called the cops on him!"  
"His racist ego may have been hurt, that's a possibility", Jane asked, "How did you stop him exactly?"  
Berenice fiddled with her fingers before admitting,  
"I hit him in the head with the step ladder"  
Jane raised his brows.  
"From behind", she mumbled.  
She had gumption all right. Cho admired women who were not easily scared.  
"When he fell, I grabbed Ginny Doherty and we hid inside my office. It was closing time and dark and I didn't want him to know where we were. So I kept the lights off. I called 911 and waited. Thankfully, they got there before he gained consciousness", she said, "Most dreadful seven minutes of my life"  
Jane shamelessly leaned forward and tapped her on the knee.  
"You did a brave thing"  
Cho rose abruptly,  
"You guys better get back to the office. Lisbon will want a report"  
"Yeah", Rigsby seemed ready to go.  
Courteous as she was, Berenice was generous in expressing her gratitude towards Rigsby, much to Cho's chagrin. Jane was getting too friendly with her.  
"And thanks for the tea, Berenice. It was the best I have had in months"  
"My pleasure, Patrick", she smiled.  
 _Maybe I should get her to call me Kimball._

The minute Rigsby was at his desk in the CBI Headquarters, Van Pelt came to him. She must have been scared blind to not pay any heed to Jane's presence right behind them.  
"Wayne? Are you okay?"  
He gave her a tired little simper,  
"Yeah. It was nothing"  
"I assure you, Grace", Jane walked past them towards Lisbon's office, "Sir Lancelot here is more than okay"  
Devil that he was, Jane blew Rigsby a kiss before turning on his feet again, grinning. He could hear the poor guy trying to explain the matter.  
"Berenice, uh, the vic kissed me. It-it was a thank you kiss!"  
Grace was already at her desk,  
"Okay. Whatever"  
Rigsby tried to salvage the situation by changing the topic,  
"Is there something to eat in the fridge?"  
"Go see for yourself"

In Lisbon's office, she had just put away a file when he took the chair across from her. Putting aside all possible distractions, she gave Jane her full attention. Lisbon never took it easy when her people were being shot at.  
"So?"  
Jane nodded,  
"She is lovely, and makes a perfect cup of tea"  
Those green eyes rolled, making his pulse quicken.  
"Figures"  
"What?"  
Lisbon gave a slow shake of the head,  
"I don't want to sound weird but you are easily attracted to African American women"  
"That's not true"  
"Don't think I didn't notice how you flirted with Hightower"  
That was new. He had never figured the mighty Lisbon to be the envious type. But well, he hadn't thought so about Cho either until that morning. He asked, innocent enough to throw her off,  
"Were you jealous?"  
A lovely pause in which her cheeks reddened. Lisbon spluttered,  
"In your dreams!"  
"Well, I can't engage into meaningless flirtation with you. You mean a lot to me"  
Her eyes locked with his, like that of a child approaching a stranger for the first time. He saw her shoulders drop a little in relief.  
"Do you want me to flirt with you?"  
"No!"  
Too quick. He Cheshire-Cat-grinned,  
"Okay, Lisbon. You got your wish"  
Slamming the already reviewed file upon the desk, she opened it to avoid looking at him.  
"Did you find out anything useful about the case at all?"  
"Yeah. I'll need to talk to some of Teddy Melvyn's army buddies. The sooner he is found the better. Berenice's death would be a huge waste. Especially since this is a great time for her"  
"You mean when a serial rapist is out to kill her?"  
"When she is forming an attachment to someone"  
"Who?", she frowned.  
"Someone worthy", he smiled, "It is all so innocent. A rare thing among adults"  
Lisbon raised a hand, not even bothering to make any sense of his babble. She picked up the receiver.  
"I'll let Detective Waheed know we are taking over the investigation"  
"You do that"


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I apologize for the late update. I got into _Law and Order: SVU_ this winter and it's all I have been writing about. Thanks if you are still interested in this story.

Disclaimer: I do not own _The Mentalist_ or any of its characters. I mentioned the organization _Kids Need To Read_ merely because I support them and they deserve a mention.

* * *

 **SOMETHING CHO**

 **Chapter 3**

"I have to make a call", Cho excused himself.  
Berenice nodded, looking after him right before Tara pulled her towards the couch. It always annoyed her when she did that.  
"What is going on with you two?", she whispered.  
 _Oh crapdoodle._  
"What?", Berenice frowned.  
"Don't, okay? You guys were together all through yesterday and today you are making goo-goo eyes at each other!"  
"That's ridiculous!"  
Tara laughed,  
"Berry, you tucked your hair when you saw him!"  
"Shut up"  
Tara lowered her volume while her friend dragged her towards the other end of the couch.  
"If you must know", Berenice looked about, "I had a dream"  
"You didn't"  
"In that dream, Agent Cho and I were doing a dramatic reading together"  
Berenice wasn't pleased with the stupid expression on Tara's face.  
"You what now?"  
"Yes, we read _Gone Girl_ together in my dream. And it was beautiful"  
"Berry…"  
"Look, he is…", she smiled, "Quite well-read. Quite good looking too"  
"There you go"  
"He makes these really smart jokes. You saw that yesterday, right?"  
"Hold up", Tara interrupted, "You like him. I get it. What are you gonna do about it?"  
"Well, I can't tell him. They probably have rules at the CBI against getting involved with victims or clients, whatever it is. He can't know"  
"He can't know?", Tara tucked her hair behind her ears comically, "You mean by this he won't know?"  
"Stop it"  
"Berry and Kimball, sitting in a tree! K…"  
"You stop right now"  
"Ow! Ow…"  
Berenice stopped gripping her friend's wrists, pushed her away even when Cho got off the phone and came towards them. He looked straight at her.  
"I just talked to my boss. CBI is taking over the investigation"  
"Thank you"  
He gave a little nod before marching into the kitchen. The kiss she gave Agent Rigsby had had an effect on him; she wasn't blind, of course. But it meant nothing. She only saw Wayne as a kid, a really hungry kid. On the other hand, if Agent Cho was jealous…  
To have her reverie interrupted by a phone call,  
 _How cliché_ , Berenice thought.  
It was her assistant. Mandy never called without a good reason. Or unless it was bad news.

The CSU had just left, leaving Cho to bolt the wooden shutters on the kitchen window. Berenice probably wouldn't like any part of her house dark, let alone the kitchen, but she didn't have a say in it. He would be damned if she was going to get shot on his watch.  
"Agent Cho?"  
She was wearing formals. When had she changed? This change was _good_ though.  
"There is a situation at the library. I have to go. And I know I am not supposed to leave the house but this is really important. So can you please come along?"  
There was Tara to consider as well. He would be breaking a major rule of witness protection if he brought her out. But any argument Cho could have made went out of the window when she put on her glasses.  
 _Cat eye? Are you kidding me, Berenice?_  
She looked on with her big eyes as he sighed.  
"All right, but let's wait for a while. The CBI is going to provide you with an additional two-person protection detail. They're on their way"  
"Of course"  
He tried to hide his amusement at her meek smile of victory. Her grin only grew wider.

The Sacramento Public Library was five minutes away from the Washington place. Berenice told him she usually walked to and back from work. She told him a few other things too, about her work, about the event they were planning, about how her assistant had messed up the meager task she had been assigned. Her voice was not meaningless natter to him. His appreciation for silence had never faced such a challenge. The earthy, even tone of Berenice's voice seemed to intensify his sense of serenity.  
"Make ten copies of this"  
Cho watched Berenice at work. Her assistant worked the printer while she meticulously rummaged through some papers.  
"Mandy, I have separated them. Now make separate files. And don't mess up _Kids Need To Read_. They are our primary partners"  
Work-Berenice was much more stoic than at-home-Berenice. Cho would pretend he had not been stealing any glances at her while reading the last chapter of _Vilette_. He had just begun to concentrate again when the smell of paper and jasmines disoriented him. One of her curly locks touched Cho's ear as Berenice leaned over his shoulder, looking into the book.  
"Oh, this is the bittersweet part", she whispered.  
His chest vibrated with a deep breath. Berenice walked away to give some final instructions to her assistant. Cho got off the chair and walked with her to his SUV outside, as if all his senses had not been heightened at once.

In the car, Berenice was the one sneaking glances. She broke the silence,  
"Finished reading _Vilette_?"  
"Yeah"  
"Liked it?"  
"Sort of"  
"Always talk so much?"  
He smiled to himself,  
"Yeah"  
She looked out the window before turning back to him.  
"What's your favorite Bronte novel?"  
" _Wuthering Heights_ "  
Berenice nodded,  
"Mine is _Tenant of Wildfell Hall_ "  
He made the turn towards the residential neighborhood. Her silence was disturbing.  
"What's your favorite Jane Austen?"  
She perked up,  
" _Persuasion_. Yours?"  
" _Pride and Prejudice_ "  
"Why?"  
"Mr. Darcy"  
There was that hearty laugh he had been waiting for.

The conversation had just steered to why they had gotten into reading. Cho was going to tell her how his tour of duty had made him realize life was too short to not revive his childhood love for reading. But in the same moment, their eyes came to rest on the yellow RV parked in front of the Washington house. Berenice was out of the SUV before she could be stopped.  
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!", she moaned.  
Tara came to her tiptoeing,  
"Before you get mad, you should know that your mother…"  
"SHE'S HERE TOO?!"  
Cho tried to make sense of the confusion by asking his colleague Anderson,  
"What's going on?"  
"They say they're Miss Washington's family. The lady wouldn't listen to me. She just stormed right in"  
A weary-looking man stepped out of the house.  
"Tara, where you keep the expensive wine at?"  
Berenice charged at him without a pretext,  
"Jimmy, what the hell is this contraption doing on my lawn?"  
Mrs. Cooper from next door seized the moment.  
"You call that scaly patch a lawn? I bet your pit hair has more growth than that"  
Berenice turned to her, visibly shooing her away,  
"Go back to telling the Nazis where the Jews are hidden, why don't you, Velma?"  
Jimmy, who Cho noticed looked somewhat like Berenice, admonished her.  
"Now you can't talk like that before Grandpa. He gets…"  
"You brought Grandpa in the RV?"  
"They wouldn't let him on a flight 'cause of his oxygen tank. I was on the No Fly List already, so I gave him and Ma a lift"  
"From Austin, you fool?!", she hit him as she walked past him, "Get outta my way!"  
Cho went in, Tara warning him about her friend's "crazy ass family". Said friend looked utterly defeated, standing in the living room with a stout woman who seemed to be her mother, Jimmy – whom Tara said was Berenice's twin brother, and what looked like a man's corpse in a wheelchair.  
"Agent Cho", Berenice sighed, "This is my mother Candace Washington, my brother Jimmy, and my grandfather Earl Keatin"


End file.
